Wednesday, March 3, 2010

LECTIO DIVINA

God asks us to LISTEN 413 times in His Holy Word. Lectio Divina is the ancient practice of divine listening. Less talking during prayer - more TIME to LISTEN. Pastor Steve Estes taught a class at the SYNERGY conference. He shared that by his desire to attend a study group that dug deeper, to hear God's voice, is why he incorporated some rules from Celebrate Recovery. At prayer request time, men and women are seperated so that men will open up to other men what THEY are struggling with. Women the same. Prayers for others are nice, but what do we individually struggle with does not come out among men and women together. At Big Valley Grace church in Modestio several small groups practice this method during group.

View Verse of the Day Invite the Holy Spirit to still your mind. Click the tiny speaker, LISTEN to the Word of God. Journal a word that God speaks into your heart. Listen to the Word of God three times. Hear His voice speaking directly to you. As the people of Israel LISTENED to the Word of God read by Moses, Jeremiah, Amos, Ezra and in the book of ACTS, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they fell to the ground in praise. Isaiah 50:4-6 (New International Version)The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.

LISTEN to what the Spirit is saying. God gave us the command, those with ears, HEAR what the Spirit is saying. The word LISTEN is in scripture 413 times. Therefore hearing the word of God is important as we LISTEN to what the indwelt Spirit is saying to us. FIRST DAY OF LENT 2010 read the gospels on BibleGateway. LUKE 1: "When Jesus had finished saying all this in the HEARING of the people..." The Centurion said "But SAY the word, and my servant will be healed..." It is CLEAR in the scriptures that the power of the spoken word goes out to accomplish His will and it heals! The living Word of God is active and it does not come back void. Bring FORTH what is within you, the Holy Spirit.